If you want to have a successful organic restaurant, one of the keys is making sure that you cater to as many people as possible. There are many different diets out there now, and whether someone is on their diet for ideological reasons or weight loss purposes, they are going to do their best to stick to it, even when they’re going out to eat.
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Fortunately, there are many ways to cater to diners on different diets. Let’s take a look at some common ones and how you can make sure that everyone can find something delicious and filling to eat when they peruse your menu.
Vegetarian
There are probably a few items on your menu that are already fine for vegetarians, like salads, but a simple salad won’t keep a vegetarian diner coming back. You might also want to broaden your menu with plant-based protein options, like tofu and tempeh.
You don’t have to go crazy. Just open up the menu and offer a few more choices.
Vegan
A vegan diet cuts out all animal products, so it’s not just meat they cannot eat. Milk, eggs, and anything else that comes from animals are off their menu. There are some easy substitutions you can make though. Different types of milk are fine for vegans, like oat milk and various types of nut milk. There are also vegan substitutes for common ingredients like butter, cream, and eggs, so you can easily accommodate vegan guests by keeping some extra ingredients on hand.
Paleo
A paleo dieter is trying to eat only things that could have been hunted and gathered by our ancestors. So if your menu offers plenty of meat options, fish, fruits, and vegetables, you should be all set. Paleo dieters can also eat seeds, which can be used as smoothie ingredients, and nuts, which are used to make alternatives to the dairy milk they won’t drink.
Keto and Low Carb
Diners on these diets have similar needs. They’re not going to want a lot of grains or bread in their meals, and they’re mostly focused on getting their calories from foods that are high in protein. Offering something like a burger without a bun or with a lettuce wrap is great, but also make sure that you’re giving diners a choice with other dishes. For example, if you offer fried chicken, make sure you can offer keto dieters a grilled chicken, without all that high-carb breading.
Gluten-Free
Gluten is a type of protein that’s found in many grain products. People with celiac disease can get sick from consuming it, and other people try out gluten-free diets for other health reasons. Diners who want to go gluten-free won’t want buns on their burgers, so keep offering them without just like you would to customers on the Keto diet.
It’s also a good idea to look at your menu to see if you’re heavy on items that would contain a lot of gluten, like sandwiches. If you can add more items that are good for gluten-free diners, like meals consisting of lots of lean meats and vegetables, definitely do so.
If you want to learn more about how organic food places can cater to different diets, the Organic Restaurants blog and website can help!